Self-Reliance and Salvation

I read a passage in Jonah this morning that illustrates the tendency of people to rely on his own strength to save themselves.  After Jonah attempted in vain to flee by ship from God who commanded him to go to Nineveh and preach against the city, the LORD whipped up a tremendous storm.  The mariners feared for their lives and threw their cargo overboard to save themselves as they each cried out to their gods.  The captain roused sleeping Jonah (ironically sleeping and silent when only his God hears and answers prayer), and it was determined by lot he was responsible for the tempest.  He admitted he had brought disaster upon them by disobedience to God.  The terrified men asked what they needed to do to restore calm.

Jonah 1:12-13 says, "And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me." ¹³ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them."  Jonah gave a simple and clear answer to their question with one command:  pick him up, and throw him into the sea.  It was something they were capable of doing, seeing they were able to throw their goods and merchandise into the sea.  But they were unwilling to do the one thing Jonah told them to do.  They could not see how throwing Jonah in the sea would change the weather, and later in the passage it is evident they assumed doing so would be the death of Jonah.  So rather than throw the prophet of God overboard, they picked up oars and rowed for their lives--and the storm continued to gain fury.

I wonder if the initial refusal of the sailors to do as Jonah asked was like Namaan who went to Elisha in Samaria to be cleansed of leprosy.  The directive of Elisha (given by Elisha's servant) was to dip 7 times in the Jordan river, and this was not what the Syrian general expected.  He thought Elisha would wave his hand over the leprosy and it would disappear like magic, so Namaan was enraged at the suggestion to bathe in the Jordan river:  what good would water do him?  What he did not comprehend that it was not water or bathing that was needed but submission and faith in God demonstrated by obedience.  Namaan's cleansing required him to humble himself before God and obey--even when he did not understand why or how repeated dipping could possibly help him.  His servants reasoned with Namaan that he would have gladly undertaken a difficult challenge to be cleansed:  why not do the simple thing the prophet told him to do?  Namaan dipped 7 times, and God  miraculously healed him.

After their efforts to row together for land proved fruitless, in absolute desperation the mariners did as God through Jonah commanded them.  They begged God would not hold them accountable for the death of Jonah, and they heaved him overboard.  Immediately the raging sea was calm and the men feared God exceedingly, and they even offered sacrifices and made vows to God.  The tendency observed in the sailors to rely on self to escape trouble and save ourselves by our efforts and wisdom is common to all people.  We imagine we are capable of finding solutions and fixing problems.  Yet like the sailors, we are incapable of saving ourselves from sin, death and conflict in this life.  God is gracious and merciful to send storms so we are brought to a place of desperation and willingness to submit to God's guidance for salvation.  Paul and Silas said to the Philippian jailor who desired salvation in Acts 16:31, "So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

We are naturally content to be bailed out of our current troubles so we can go our own way, but God desires to redeem and save us forever.  King Solomon mused in Proverbs 20:9:  "Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"?"  No one by their efforts, sorrow or doing good can cleanse their hearts; we have all sinned.  But Jesus Christ the Son of God revealed His ability and power to forgive sins when He made the paralytic walk.  Jesus showed His victory over the power of sin when He rose from the dead after dying on the cross for the sins of the world.  Cleansing from sin and eternal life is offered freely at the great cost of Christ's sacrifice, and all who believe on Him will be saved.  The Gospel is simple enough for a child to understand and receive, but our natural inclination is to pick up an oar or leave in a huff rather than submit to God, trust and obey Him.  Blessed are all who admit their efforts are fruitless and hopeless and turn to Christ in humble faith to do His will.